Always take a chance
by Ginny989
Summary: - Hey you! I grabbed his arm, not the one who yelled, but his friend. Will you tell your friend to knock it of? He smirked. - Why? /Ok, so I basicly write this just to practise my english, comments are appreciated./ My own story and characters
1. I'll pick you up at 7

- Okey, so do you know who's the worst skier in the bible?  
>I sighed and rolled my eyes. I didn't want to know either. Instead I gazed out over the corridor that divided the canteen and the lockers and disconnected her. I was with my best friend and the girl in my class that I desperately wanted to get away from but who followed me wherever I seemed to go. Behind me in the dining queue they were having a lively discussion over the worst skier in the holly book, whom just Patty in this case was interested in. I guess that I'd been pretty interested in the skier as well even though I didn't believe. The bible had always interested me (and I'd once made an effort to actually read it, but I gave up when my English teacher came in between and made us read Shakespeare as well and I simply realized that I couldn't read both), but to discuss it with Patty, to discuss anything with Patty, were incredible testing and often quite exhausting. Her and Hannah's chatter were just background noise as I saw something much more interesting approaching trough the corridor. I threw a quick look at Hannah who'd stopped talking to Patty and instead looked at (actually it was more of a stare, like the stare of panic or something, since she was hardly breathing and nearly shaking) the wall, away from the five guys who were coming towards us.<br>- Sexy, one of them said as they walked past us.  
>The call out was followed by a whistle and I once again looked at Hannah who seemed to wish for a quick death.<br>- Hey, I said loudly and grabbed his arm.  
>Not the one that was calling, but the guy that Hannah thought that I should shoot for. He turned around and looked down at me. He was actually quite tall and even though I'd never thought of him as tall and he must have been about a head taller then I. On the other hand I was quite short which might even out some things.<br>- Will you tell your friends to knock it off? I asked, surprised over how I dared to talk to a senior like that when I was just a junior.  
>He look at me for a moment and I stared stubbornly back at him. His brown eyes searched my face for signs of weakness and I prayed to the God I'd never believed in that I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of finding any. After all it wasn't just my pride we played about. John, Samuels best friend (who stood right beside him as I stared at him), were the boy Hannah dreamed of.<br>Yet he didn't know this as he uncomfortably stood next to Samuel who finally grinned and asked:  
>- Why?<br>My mind went black for a moment. I knew I had to make a comeback on it otherwise he'd have the advantage. Martin's voice recalled in my head as I heard him say, over and over again, "you need to make more comebacks Jenny". My cousin's words didn't help much now though, instead it made me more frustrated. Why didn't I snap like I usually did, when I really needed to?  
>A few meters away stood the rest of the pack; the two Turks and my neighbor Isaac who laughed so bad that it almost seemed like he would wet himself. I felt the anger inside me and spitted out to Samuel:<br>- Well since you can run a business of your own I guessed that you'd be smart to figure that out, clearly you're not, I turned around and pushed the queue somewhat forward.  
>I heard Isaacs laugh clearer than before and I felt the heat boiling under my skin. If he were laughing at Samuel I had a reason to feel good about what I'd done but there was a pretty big chance that they were laughing at me. I threw and eye at Hannah whose face was all red. I reminded myself that I was going to apologize later, but right now I was too frustrated and too blown up by my alter ego Super Jenny. (Super Jenny is this awesome girl who don't care about what anyone else thinks, and who's never ashamed of herself. She's just the kick-ass girl I want to be but rarely am. She's quite hostile too but everyone admires her for it, when I'm hostile I'm just a drag.)<em><br>Breath Jennifer, breath_, I told myself staring out in the open air before me. The queue was going slow and I desperately wished that the dining ladies would hurry up so that we could get away before John, Isaac and Samuel came back.

- Okey, the worst skier…  
>- Hey, you.<br>Someone tabbed my shoulder and Patty were just about to pull that awful joke again, _breath Jenny, breath,_ I told myself and turned around looking up in the same brown eyes again.  
>- What do you want? I moaned, this day were just getting worse for each minute.<br>I gazed trough the corridor Isaac, the Turks and John were standing last in the queue smirking at the scene. The little good I'd thought about everyone of them were as good as gone. They could laugh all they wanted at their dead meat sauce (witch by the way was hilarious), but they were all just a bunch of jackasses.  
>- Would you go out whit me?<br>I crinkled my nose. Why on earth was he asking me out?  
>- Why? I asked, more hostile then I thought I would.<br>- I thought you were smart, he grinned.  
>His eyes were brighter than before and the confused wrinkle on his forehead was gone. He seemed less annoyed then before and maybe even honest. But he had grinned. How dared he… My arms were feeling unsteady and for a short moment I thought that I was going to hit him, I never trusted myself with what I might come up with in the heat of the moment. I took a breath and looked steadily into his eyes.<br>- Is this a bet? I asked. Or maybe an evil prank?  
>He seemed surprised and lost for a moment. I could feel Hannah angrily looking at me, wanting me to take the chance and say yes. I threw an eye on her and made a face. At the time Samuel regained composure and opened his mouth to respond.<br>- No, it's not a joke. It's me asking you out. Now would you go out with me?  
>He was calm. It stressed me that he was.<br>- When?  
>I watched him like he'd watched me before, looking for cracks. To my disappointment I didn't find anything and he replied:<br>- Friday night, I'll pick you up at 7.  
>I nodded my head.<br>- Sure. Why not.  
>He smiled and I gave him a halfhearted grin.<br>- See you then, Jen, he said and went back down to John.  
>- It's Jennifer or Jenny, moron, I mumbled.<br>In the corner of my eye I saw Hannah smiling more beamingly then she would if all her wishes would come true.  
>- Do you know him? Patty asked.<br>Her voice reminded how rural she were living making her sound stupider then she was, like she were lacking the experience of elevators or cars. I'd be lying if I said that we lived in a big town. I'd been at the same school as Isaac, Samuel, John and Turk number 1 since I was seven, but I never knew Hannah or Patty until when we started High School. "Do you know him", psch… no. I knew who I thought he was, although he'd also showed two new sides of him in less than five minutes.  
>- I think I'm going to, I answered.<br>She made a funny face, showing that she didn't understand what I meant but I just ignored her and grabbed a plate.

Dinner was spent in silence from my side while Hannah and Patty chattered eagerly as never before. Patty, still trying to figure out how I knew Samuel and who he really was and why he asked me out all like that, was asking question on question without getting any proper answerers. Hannah were talking about how wonderful it was now that Samuel and I were going to have our first date, and by the time we had to leave she'd still hadn't finished; nor her talking or her food.  
>- Okey, so he asked me out, what's the big deal? I asked, finally alone with just Hannah by the lockers, grabbing our books.<br>- The big deal, she slammed the locker door in front of me, IS that you've been head over heels about him since we started here. And now he's asked you out!  
>I crinkled my nose and we started walking.<br>- No I haven't… You had music class with John for a year, didn't tell me until half a year later that you were in love with him, and now you don't dear to talk to him. I, on the other hand, was interested in Jim, but decided to help you get together with John, realized that Jim was, is, and always will be; a total douchebag and I needed some new eye-candy, and that lollipop happened to be Samuel.  
>She giggled and I laughed too.<br>- Will you stop thinking that all I say is perverted, gosh I can't even say lollipop?  
>She laughed even harder now and her face went a tone redder. I smiled, waiting for the comeback.<br>- Yes, but you can't call him a lollipop!  
>She busted out in a new giggle and I shook my head. She knew that I was right in what I'd said earlier. I'd never been in to him, but that he looked good was something I couldn't deny. And about three days from now, I would be out on a date with him.<p> 


	2. You're not nervous, are you?

- Its less than four hours now.  
>She smiled and unlocked her locker, I simply nodded. History class was finished and it was time to go home for the weekend.<br>- I know.  
>- Are you nervous?<br>I didn't answer. The truth was that I wasn't quite sure. The whole week I'd been going around telling myself that it wasn't a big deal. Hannah had been talking about it day and night and I sometimes found myself smiling over the stupid scenarios she imagined. But except from that I thought I'd kept my poker face pretty well.  
>- What are you going to wear?<br>I stopped unpacking my bag and stared for a minute out in the air. Then I slowly closed the door and looked at her.  
>- I don't know.<br>A thousand thoughts ran through my head. What was I going to wear? What were we going to do? What was he going to wear? Sexy or innocently sweet? Jeans to prove that I didn't care at all?  
>I'd been making up scenarios as well but I never took them to thought and trough the week I'd been busy; trying to study and at the same time keep an eye on Samuel. It had both been going down the drain, a C at math and not even a smile from him. Maybe it all was a joke after all.<br>- You have to help me!  
>She laughed; she knew that I'd eventually give in.<br>- I'll help you, love fool, she smiled.  
>I nodded again, this time nervously.<br>- Come on, pack your things and we'll head over to your house. You just got three and a half hour.

Three and a half hour would be perfectly fine, but by the time we had reached my house there was unfortunately just three of them left. I hadn't even dropped my bag before Hannah walked over to my closet and confidently opened it.  
>- Now we'll see what we can find… she said; more to herself than to me.<br>- I'm not going to wear a dress, I quickly said as I saw her inspecting my dark raspberry red dress.  
>I'd only worn it once before on demand by my grandmother (who openly had shared her thoughts about going to the theatre in Jeans) and I was determent on not wearing it ever again. Dresses in dark raspberry should not be worn by me.<br>- Why not? You have great legs!  
>Once again I stared at her in panic.<br>- Oh God! I have to shave! I screamed, pulling up my jeans; observing the small hairs that were growing irregular all over my shin, grossed out over that I'd let it grow for so long. And I have to fix my hair as well! I'm never going to make it.  
>She smiled, as she used to when I was freaking out.<br>- Go and take a shower, shave and wash your hair, and I'll be helping you pick out something to wear. I'm not leaving until you do.  
>I looked strictly at her.<br>- When he gets here, you'll be gone, and if not gone: invisible.  
>- Oh so you do like him? She mocked me.<br>I rolled my eyes, grabbed a towel and headed smilingly towards the bathroom. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't.

- Okay, so you have three choices, she said when I came back, pulling out three piles of clothes.  
>She held up the first pieces of clothing and smiled proudly. It was a green dress, knee length.<br>- I told you; I am not going to wear a dress, I said and sat down at my bed. Besides it's a summer dress, and it's winter right now if you haven't noticed.  
>- Okay, miss I-always-wear-jeans-and-that's-why-I-don't-have-a-boyfriend.<br>I raised an eyebrow and threw a pillow at her.  
>- I don't have time for this, what are the other picks?<br>- Here is the next one.  
>She held up a skirt, a pair of leggings and a shirt to go with it. I crinkled my nose, a year ago I'd gladly worn it but now a day's it just seemed childish and out of style.<br>- I knew you wouldn't like that, so that's why I picked theses as well, she said and threw the other clothes back in the closet. A pair of jeans and a shirt.  
>She held them up, a pair of almost black skinny jeans and a loose top in a see-trough fabric with a black tank-top under.<br>I smiled, sometimes I loved her. Most of the time of course, but sometimes a bit more than usual.  
>I picked up the nicest pair of underwear I owned and got dressed, the wet hair fell down my back and I reached for the hairdryer.<br>- Wait! I know how to do this, Hanna cried.  
>She pulled up a round hairbrush and pulled it rapid trough my hair before she started to section it. Carefully she blew it in different directions and ways. After a good ten minutes she'd gone through it all and I watched myself in the mirror. In a sweep my hair had both volume and shine and it fell in all the right ways and directions.<br>- Can I at least do my own make up? I asked.  
>She nodded.<br>- You're better than me at that.  
>I smiled. In twenty minutes Samuel would be here, and I already looked amazing. Or at least more amazing than I usually did.<p>

- I hope you're not nervous.  
>- I'm not.<br>- Good because here he comes.  
>I looked through the window, outside a car had pulled over. I smiled and took a deep breath.<br>- Wish me luck.


	3. I'm talking right now

- So… where are we heading? I asked, once in the car.  
>I gazed at him as he shifted gear and drove pass the crossing. It was dark outside and the streetlights threw strangely shaped shadows of our silhouettes in the old, deep red car.<br>- I'd thought we'd go bowling, one of the most obvious and old fashion way to do this, but on the other hand you don't have to talk all that much.  
>It was an odd answer.<br>- So you don't like talking? I asked as I carefully watched his facial expression.  
>- I'm talking right now, he answered, raising an eyebrow.<br>- Seems like I'm not the only one who's hostile.  
>He grinned and threw a quick eye on me.<br>- Yea, about that, are you always that pleasant to deal with?  
>- Not really, I answered.<br>- You're just really hard against me and my friends?  
>- And other jackasses in general.<br>- So you think that my friends and I are assholes?  
>His question was honest and ha glanced at me. <em>Don't screw this up now Jenny<em>.  
>- I might have to reconsider that later. And when it comes to your friends: john seems nice, but my neighbor and the Turks… nah.<br>- They do have names you know.  
>He smirked; telling me that what I'd just said could be worse and that he not was going to get angry about it.<br>- I know. Not to be racist or something, but they are equally as big jerks.  
>- Great way to open at Jen, he said, smiling at my outspokenness.<br>- My name isn't Jen, I replied stubbornly.  
>- Too bad, it's sweet.<br>I rolled my eyes and he smiled at it, showing of a dimple.  
>- Are we leaving this subject now?<br>- Sure. What do you want to talk about next, Jen?

The bowling hall was, as everything else, decorated for Christmas. The red baubles and garlands created contrasts into the 50's decorated room. New stuff wasn't supposed to meet old, at least not in this way. With a bad grin I laced my bowling shoes. It was just the two of us here, and an old couple in their late sixties. He looked query at me and I immediately replied:  
>- I've never liked bowling shoes.<br>He smirked, as usual.  
>- Don't worry, no one here will judge you for wearing them.<br>I blushed.  
>- I didn't mean… I just don't like how they fit. They are to flat, I said a bit to rapidly to change his mind.<br>- Yeah, right. I've never seen you wear heals though, but it's cool Jen, I get you.  
>I felt the anger rise within me as I followed him down to the bowling lane.<br>- And you're right. They do look like shit.  
>He turned around blew of a charmingly smile and winked at me. I shook my head, wondering what would feel the best right now; to slap him in the face or to melt down to a small pool of something Hannah would call love, and I would call attraction.<p>

We played for a while, chatting. After all it was going pretty well. I'd let down my guard at the first swing. Gently he'd sneaked up behind me, stealing my ball as I was going to throw it. Smirkingly he had me begging him to give it back. Clearly he had me just where he wanted me to be. And though it irked me, I had to admit that I had a blast.  
>- So what do you want to do when you graduate? I asked as we sat curled up next to each other at one of the old benches.<br>The light was soft but yellow and his warm, brown eyes weren't sparkling anymore as they did when he smiled. Instead he glanced out over the room. The muscles in his face were relaxed and his, usually, straggly hair had fallen down in his face.  
>He shrugged and sighed, looked at me with something empty in his eyes.<br>- I don't know. I'd guess I'll go to college, graduate and then come back to takes over the business after the old man.  
>- That's the plan? I looked at him lamenting.<br>- It's his plan. And I don't have any better idea. I know I can run a business since we've done it in school now for a semester.  
>I crinkled my nose.<br>- With Isaac, John and the Turks.  
>He laughed, and for a moment the spark in his eyes was back.<br>- Yeah, with Isaac, John and the Turks.  
>- But that's not your plan, I said, pointing out the obvious.<br>- No it's not, he said.  
>Then he smiled, as if he were pushing away everything about his dad and his future.<br>- My plans for now though, are to spend the rest of the year enjoying myself. And driving you home, the owner over there has been looking quite angrily at us for a while and I'd guess that he wants to close up this place and go home. Maybe to his beautiful wife.  
>I smiled at his assuming, but got up from the pink, leather clothed sofa.<p>

After pulling over at my street he stepped out of the car, and before I'd opened the door he'd rushed over to my side and opened it for me with a gentle bow.  
>I smiled and hid a laugh; shaking my head.<br>- I've really had fun tonight, he said looking in to my eyes as we stood in front of my door.  
>I smiled and wished that he wouldn't see how I blushed.<br>- Me too, I said, shyer then I ever thought I could get.  
>- I'll see you around Jennifer Anderson.<br>Gently he leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek before he turned around, walked down the steps and out on the street. And then he was gone.


	4. You mad Jennifer?

- He did what?  
>My best friend was staring at me and slammed the door to her locker in my face the following Monday.<br>- He kissed me on the cheek! I yelled before I realized how loud my voice was and was able to stop me.  
>- Yeah! What a coward, she said straight forward.<br>I crinkled my nose and continued in a normal tone:  
>- Nah, it was kind of cute. Pretty mind fucking though.<br>She made a face, clearly disagreeing. I shrug and she sighed as Patty walked around the corner.  
>- Has someone made your mind fizzy? She said, putting her nose in the conversation.<br>- Yeah, a dude. He's just a dude… I muttered.  
>We started to walk off, up towards history class. I was thinking about what I'd just said. About Samuel being "just a dude". Wasn't he more? I realized that I was pretty good at lying to myself, but now I was torn. As much as I wanted him to be nothing but any boy, I had to admit that I was glad about what had happened the other night and that he was really sweet since I'd expect him to be a jerk.<br>- Who is it? Is it that guy that asked you out the other day? Patty interrupted my thoughts.  
>- Yeah, I muttered once again. He's name is Samuel.<br>- So you _were_ on a date? She continued.  
>I saw Hannah roll her eyes in a quiet sigh. She had not asked for Patty's company and was about to strangle her any minute. Surely I hadn't asked for Patty to join us in any way either, but she was kind of an outsider and had no one else so I guessed that someone had to have her hanging around.<br>- No, I was in Spain dining with the prime minister, I snatched. Yes I was on a date.  
>- Oh, she said; hand fallen. Well how was it?<br>- It was great, Hannah putted in. And soon the semester is over, how lovely isn't that?  
>I smiled at her attempt to change subject, but Patty fell for it, starting to talk about how her and her family would be going north, skiing and celebrating Christmas with old family friends.<p>

That the days until the holidays were less than a week away didn't however stop the teachers. With just three days left in school they filled their last classes with testes and essays, leaving no room for enjoying oneself, nor think about boys.  
>Just like the week before the date previous week, Samuel seemed to had magically disappeared. It happened that I saw my neighbor and the Turk, smirkingly hanging around down in the cafeteria among a group of blonde girls, but John and Samuel seemed to have been whipped of the earth's surface, abducted by aliens.<p>

- This isn't going well at all, I told Hannah as we had bunkered down in the library, hiding from all the Christmas celebrations the last day before the weekend. I have not talked to him since the date, I haven't even _seen_ him since that.  
>She crinkled her nose.<br>- I know. And I don't know what to do about it. And I don't know what to do about John.  
>I rolled my eyes, again she changed subject into John.<br>- That's a later problem, I mean if I get a foot in at Samuels I can try to fix that, but right now I got nothing.  
>- You'll see, it'll come around, she told me. Now there's just waiting.<br>- But there is no waiting. Next time I'll see him is in 3 weeks, do you know how much that can happen in 3 weeks? Dennis Kerr broke up with Leanne _and_ got a new girlfriend in 17 days, that's _less_ than 3 weeks!  
>- Well, she responded quite insecure about what to say, we'll figure it out somehow.<br>I made a face, thinking that we'd better make up a plan quite soon if this was going to go well for any of us.  
>- Yeah, because the next thing we know they are both going to have girlfriends, and we'll be standing here like two fools, like "fine, have it your way. I wanted to fuck you as well, but okey, have your ugly girlfriend and walk around and ignore everything else in life. Fine, sure"!<br>- You mad Jennifer?  
>I spun around looking at the unfamiliar voice. The face of the speaker, and his laughter, was on the other hand quite recognizable as I faced my neighbor. For a second I looked into his blue eyes, praying that this wouldn't forward to Samuel, or John.<br>Next to Isaac stood the Turk. He seemed to think this was just as funny as Isaac thought and grinned happily, close to burst out into laughter.  
>- With you in sight, yea, I answered Isaac.<br>He grinned bigger and I felt my body get hot from anger. This was ridiculous, didn't they had anything better to do than to mock me? _Don't show them any sign of weakness, Jenny_, the voice in my head told me. I reminded the voice that it probably was too late and that I assumingly was shaking of wrath.  
>- Don't worry, your secret is safe with me, he said, smiled once more and walked off.<p>

The days were going slower the closer to Christmas it got. At home my mum were stressing out with the last of decorations and the first preparing of the big family dinner which were including our family of 4, my grandpa and grandma, my aunt and her family of 6 among them my cousin Martin and last: my grandmother, her new husband and my great grandfather from my dad's side.  
>The box which had contained Christmas ornaments until yesterday, stood at the floor next to my closet. Hannah, who had helped me decorate my room, laid at my bed, bored. We had spent the last week together watching <em>Pretty Woman<em>, _Breakfast at Tiffany's_, _Bridget Jones diary _and several kids cartoon's about Christmas, feeling lazy and sometimes quite miserable. The truth was that we both putted in too much energy in this Samuel-&-John-thing, and neither of us had anything to do during all this free time.  
>- Are you done with all your presents? I asked as I bumped down in the bed besides her and turned on the television.<br>- Oh George, how come… A blonde lady with red lipstick told a tall man with black water combed hair and a tiny black mustache before Hannah's speech drowned her words.  
>- Nah, I still got to buy something for my mum, and Linda…<br>She grinned badly as she thought of her smallest cousin. I had never met her but I had heard quite a lot about the eager, young lady who seemed to be a pain in the ass.  
>- …like what do you buy to an 8 year old?<br>I didn't answer since I didn't know. I had bought some magazines for approximately 2 bucks each from the local grocery store to my 10 year old brother Robbie. There were cars and baseball players in them so I'd figured that he would be happy.  
>- I bought some bath bombs from the little make-up store on the corner of Maple Street for my mother.<br>- Hmm, yeah, that'd be something. I have yours though, you'll get it on Christmas Eve or something.  
>I smiled and thought about the red present hidden in my drawer of underwear that was for Hannah. It was Alice Cooper's latest CD that I'd picked up from another one of the little town stores. That she listened to Cooper, Queen or Ramones were not displayed in her looks. To judge by her appearance she could be admiring Justin Bieber or One Direction, but just the mention of them made her snap.<br>What Samuel liked I didn't know but it seemed to be a fair guess to believe that Club was his thing. I had tried to act cool about I-haven't-seen-him-in-like-two-weeks!-thing but my head was brainstorming ideas to get in touch with him as soon as possible, all the time. And no matter how bad I wanted it to not be a fact, it kinda was. I liked the guy.


End file.
